Uv i Aqua Ponic System

7/29/2019 Uv i Aqua Ponic System

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Design and Operation of the UVIAquaponic System

James Rakocy, Donald Bailey

Charlie Shultz and Jason Danaher

University of the Virgin Islands

Agricultural Experiment Station

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands


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Hydroponic tanks

Rearing tanks

Effluent line

SumpClarifier

Filter tanksReturn line

Base addition

Degassing

System Layout

Total water volume, 110 m3 Land area - 0.05 ha


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System Design

u Four fish rearing tanks, 7.8 m3 each

u Two cylindro-conical clarifiers, 3.8 m3 each

u Four filter tanks, 0.7 m3 each

u One degassing tank, 0.7 m3

u Six hydroponic tanks, 11.3 m3 each

u Total plant growing area, 214 m2

u One sump, 0.6 m3

u Base addition tank, 0.2 m3

u Total water volume, 110 m3

u Land area - 0.05 ha


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Treatment Processes

u Air stones, 22 per rearing tank, 24 per hydroponic tank

u Solids removal, three times daily from clarifier,filter tank cleaning one or two times weekly

u Denitrification in filter tanks

u Continuous degassing of methane, CO2 , H2S, N2u Direct uptake of ammonia and other nutrient by plants

uNitrification in hydroponic tank

u Retention time: rearing tank, 1.37 h; clarifier, 20 min,hydroponic tanks, 3 h


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Treatment Characteristics

Removal rates using romaine lettuce (g/m2/d):

NH3-N, 0.56

NO2-N, 0.62COD, 30.3

Total nitrogen, 0.83

Total phosphorous, 0.17


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Raft Hydroponics

u Advantages: no tank size limitation, no root clogging,

maximum exposure of roots to water, sheets

shade and cool water, plants not affected when

water pump stops, easy to harvest

u Disadvantages: roots vulnerable to damage by

zooplankton, snails and other organisms (use tetras to

control zooplankton and red ear sunfish to control

snails)


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Important Principles

uOptimum feeding rate, 60 - 100 g/m2plantarea/day prevents nutrient accumulation ordeficiency

uSlow removal of solids increases mineralization

uFrequency of filter tank cleaning controlsnitrate levels through denitrification

uTreatment capacity of hydroponic tanks isequivalent to 180 g of feed/day/m2 of plant area


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Production Management

u Feeding: three times daily ad libitum32% protein, floating, complete diet

u Stagger fish production, 24 week cycle, harvest every 6

weeksu Stagger plant production

u Use biological insect control

uMonitor pH daily, maintain pH 7.0 by

alternate and equal additions Ca(OH)2 and KOHu Add chelated iron (2 mg/L) every 3 weeks

u Add makeup water daily, about 1.5% of system volume

u Purge fish for 4-5 days before sale


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Energy Consumption

uOne blower for fish and degassing, 1.5 hp

uOne blower for hydroponics, 1 hp

uOne water pump, hpuTotal energy consumption 3.0 hp


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Production

uTilapia - 5 mt annually , 580 kg every 6 weeks,

160 kg/m3/yr

uStocking rate: Niles, 77 fish/m3

; reds, 154 fish/m3

uLeaf lettuce - 1,404 cases annually, 24-30

heads/case, 27 cases/week

u

Basil 5 mt annuallyuOkra 2.9 mt annually


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Advantages of Aquaponics

u Fish provide most nutrients required by plants

u Plants use nutrients to produce a valuable by-product

u Hydroponic component serves as a biofilter

u Hydroponic plants extend water use andreduce discharge to the environment

u Integrated systems require less water qualitymonitoring than individual systems

u Profit potential increased due to free nutrients for plants,lower water requirement, elimination of separate

biofilter, less water quality monitoring and shared costsfor operation and infrastructure.


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Perspective on UVI Aquaponic System

uThe system represents appropriate or intermediatetechnology

uIt conserves water and reuses nutrientsuThe technology can be applied at a subsistence level or

commercial scale

u

Production is continuous and sustainableuThe system is simple, reliable and robust

uManagement is easy if guidelines are followed


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Uv i Aqua Ponic System

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